Chef Paul: Speed Eating
May 31 2011
I eat fast. Always have. I think it started when I was a kid and desperately wanted to go back outside and play hockey with my friends. So, I would wolf down my supper in seconds flat in order to get back to the game.
Once I grew older I continued this unhealthy habit. And then, once I started working in restaurants, eating fast was a must…you basically eat when you can. Because cooks are busy cooking meals for customers at around meal time, we’d often end up eating after service, say 10pm or later (not healthy) or before service at around 4pm…and then be REALLY hungry at the end of the night.
Now that I no longer work in a restaurant setting I eat my meals at home, at suppertime like most folks. It took a bit of getting used to. I would still eat fast…habits like this are hard to break.
Lately however, I’ve been slowing down and the main reason is my daughter. Three year olds DO NOT EAT FAST! In fact, they do very little fast…especially things like cleaning up or getting dressed. I watched her this morning having her breakfast of almond cereal, banana muffin and an apple. She savoured every morsel. She slowly picks apart her muffin eating small mouthfuls at a time. She eats the apple slices in many bites and takes small spoonfuls of cereal.
The benefits of eating slowly are well documented: better digestion because you chew slower…which in turn can lead to weight loss; you feel fuller because you’re digesting slower; you end up saving money because you can make smaller portions for dinner; less indigestion and heartburn; and an overall healthier family life. Spending time around the dinner table, as a family, has such a positive social impact. It’s a time when families and couples can interact without the distractions of their daily lives. No electronic devices beeping at you, no TV blaring and no waiter asking if “everything is OK” while your mouth is full of food (A question I’ve always hated in a restaurant…were they expecting things to be bad? If so, why serve it?).
Now, thanks to the Bee, I’ve learned to slow down my eating and savour both the food and the time we spend together as a family.
